HBA1C AND COMMUNITY-ACQUIRED PNEUMONIA: IMPACT ON SEVERITY, INFLAMMATION, HOSPITAL STAY AND COMPLICATIONS

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a serious cause of hospitalisation and death, and is affected by the presence of underlying metabolic disorders. HbA1C is a reflection of glycemic control and could be used as a severity and prognosis marker in CAP patients. Objective: To evaluate the association of HbA1c levels with pneumonia severity, inflammatory response, duration of hospital stay, and complications among patients with community-acquired pneumonia. Methods: The study was conducted as a prospective observational study in a hospital setting over six months, involving 126 patients with CAP. Demographic data, clinical characteristics, HbA1c, inflammatory markers, radiological findings, duration of hospital stay, and complications were documented. Data was analyzed by SPSS 26. Any continuous variables were compared by suitable statistical tests, and associations between HbA1c and clinical outcome were tested using chi-square and correlation tests. P-values < 0.05 were regarded as being statistically significant. Results: Among 126 patients, 54 (42.9%) had HbA1c levels ≥6.5%. Patients with elevated HbA1c showed significantly higher pneumonia severity, increased CRP levels (112.6 ± 45.8 vs. 68.5 ± 32.4 mg/L, p<0.001), higher WBC counts, and longer hospital stays (9.4 ± 3.5 vs. 6.2 ± 2.1 days, p<0.001). Conclusion: There was an increased inflammatory burden with higher HbA1c levels, which were also associated with more severe CAP, longer hospital stay, and higher risk of complications. HbA1c could prove to be a quick, easy screening tool to identify patients at risk for pneumonia in the early stages.

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